An Australian field hockey player has broken his silence after being caught buying cocaine in Paris.
Kookaburras striker Tom Craig, 28, was arrested on Tuesday night in the northern Pigalle area of the French capital after police spotted him purchasing drugs near a building in the 9th arrondissement.
After spending the night in custody, Craig was released on Wednesday afternoon with no prosecution and no fine.
He made a brief statement before leaving in a vehicle provided by the Australian Olympic Committee.
‘I’d firstly like to apologise for what has occurred over the past 24 hours. I made a terrible mistake and I take full responsibility for my actions,’ he said.
‘My actions are my own and in no way reflect the values of my family, my teammates, my friends, my sport and the Australian Olympic Committee. I’ve embarrassed you all and I’m truly sorry.’
The investigation into Craig was being carried out by the Narcotics Brigade of Paris police.
In a statement, the Australia Olympic Committee said it ‘has confirmed an Australian hockey team member is in custody after being arrested in Paris on August 6’.
Tom Craig says he ‘made a terrible mistake’ after being caught buying cocaine
A photo has shown the moment the Olympian was arrested by French cops
Tom Craig (pictured) was arrested for buying cocaine in Paris overnight on Wednesday
‘No charges have been laid,’ it said.
‘The AOC is continuing to make inquiries and arrange support for the team member.’
Craig faced a summary hearing on Wednesday night (AEST) alongside his lawyers.
It’s understood Craig was arrested just 15 minutes after leaving an Australian team function.
An image obtained by 7News shows the moment the 28-year-old was arrested.
He can be seen sat on the pavement with his hands behind his back as officers carried out their investigation.
On Wednesday, residents of Rue Douai, in the Pigalle district of the French capital, told how dealers often congregate outside their home to sell drugs to passers-by.
One said: ‘There is always a lot going on outside our building.
‘The police make regular patrols along our street but usually the dealers just disappear.
‘Last night appears to have been different and they arrested someone.’
Standing on the street corner close to where rental bicycles are parked, the dealers offer a variety of narcotics, residents claim.
A street cleaner added: ‘The dealers hang about up there, opposite the park. We don’t often to see them because we work during the day and they only come out at night, but the people who live around here say they are a nuisance.’
Paris’ notorious Pigalle district is the city’s historic red light district, made famous by artist Toulouse Lautrec and singer Edith Piaf.
It is home to the internationally-renowned Moulin Rouge burlesque club which is surrounded by sex shops and massage parlours.
And it has become a popular night-spot for tourists seeking late-night bars.
British gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson celebrated her 800m race victory at the French Flair bar with family and friends less than 100 yards from where Craig was arrested.
But it was also the scene of the horrific gang-rape of a 25-year-old Australian tourist two weeks ago.
The woman was alleged attacked by a group of men close to the Place de Clichy, which leads directly onto Rue de Douai where Craig was arrested.
The Aussie had spent Friday night drinking in the bars and clubs around the Moulin Rouge before the men approached her.
She later told police she was set upon by a group of five men and brutally raped at about 5am before escaping and seeking safety in a nearby kebab shop.
The unnamed seller was described as 17-year-old who was ‘behaving like a dealer’, said a prosecuting source.
He was allegedly carrying seven vials of cocaine, 75 ecstasy tablets and three grams of Mephedrone.
As the alleged dealer is legally a minor, he cannot be named.
Craig has represented Australia at hockey since he was a boy and was a member of the 2018 Commonwealth Games team, which won a gold medal.
The Kookaburras striker from Lane Cove in Sydney’s north is the partner of Alice Arnott, a player on Australia’s women field hockey team – the Hockeyroos.
The couple have posted photos of each other in Paris on social media.
The Kookaburras – which won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, were eliminated from the Olympics with a quarter-final loss against the Netherlands earlier this week.
The Hockeyroos were also eliminated in less than 24 hours with a shock 3-2 quarter-final loss against China.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Hockey Australia for comment.
Craig (pictured) is from Lane Cove in Sydney’s north and dating Alice Arnott, a player on Australia’s women field hockey team
Local prosecutors said Craig (pictured) was spotted ‘at the foot of a building in the ninth arrondissement’, shortly after midnight
Under a French law introduced in 2020, people caught with less than five grams of cocaine can can face on-the-spot fines as low as €150 (AUD$249).
The recently-adopted law still allows those convicted of serious illicit drug use charges to spend up to a year behind bars.
The rule was introduced to ‘simplify the work of law enforcement officers’ and reduce pressure on criminal courts.
